Passion Vs. Responsibility

Let's talk about drumming.

I'm not going to lie to you-I didn't so much as touch a pair of drum sticks yesterday at my lesson.
Here's how things went down: I knew Harry would be running late (poor guy is ALWAYS running late) so I let myself into his house as I always do, fell asleep on his couch for about 20 minutes, woke up when he got there and then we proceeded to talk about life for another hour or so.

That said, it doesn't mean I didn't learn anything yesterday. We talk about everything, but we mostly stick to music. Inevitably, Dave Matthews Band was mentioned, and I learned that he had already gotten tickets for at least 5 of the upcoming spring tour shows. This guy is devoted. I covet Harry's life a little bit, but as he (and Bishop Allen) point out, "Things are what you make of them." If my life is anything less than I really want it to be, then that's my fault. I don't have to work at a job I don't like. As Harry said, I don't have to work at all. I could quit my job, stop paying bills, live on the street and have all day to practice if I wanted to, and he's right. (I'm not going to do that, well at least not the stop paying bills/live in the streets part)

This really got me thinking about passion vs. responsibility. As I get older, I find myself more and more losing everything that is important to me because I feel the need to live this life of responsibility. I have a college degree therefore I must have a professional job therefore I must devote 40 hours a week to it therefore I must go to bed at 10 every night therefore I have no time to practice blah blah blah...it could literally go on forever. So what I have to do now is question how much devotion I have to my drums or my own happiness in general for that matter. Am I willing to make the time to practice everyday? Am I willing to do what I need to do to get the drumset I need for that? or do I even need a drum set? Alot of people find rythm all around them, using pens at their desk or pots and pans at home. I just don't know if I have that gift.

Watching people like Harry (yes, just watching him, his actions, expressions, thought process) makes me really think about how unsatisfying and miserable a dispassionate life can be. So, a new mission (let's just add it to my mile long list, shall we?): find my passion.

How's your life?

Mine's good, thanks.

I know all of you (and by all of you, I mean the maybe 3 people that occasionally read my blog) are expecting a drum lesson recap for today, but Harry was sick yesterday so we rescheduled for this afternoon instead.

I would just wait until tomorrow to do an entire week-in-review, but my printer at work is broken and as it turns out, I can't hardly do a damn thing without it. So, I blog.

This week has been christmas-tastic. Monday we had an ornament swap at Jamie's house. I've gotten oddly competitive in my *ahem* old age, so I was secretly pleased when my blue glittery skiing penguin kept being stolen in a wicked game of dirty santa.

Tuesday was the greatest night of all (thus far)

I went with Katie to see Avenue Q at the BJCC, and we were definitely supposed to be in the nosebleed section, but a little Birdie (literally, her name was Birdie) told us to go have a seat in orchestra until the show started so we wouldn't get locked out, but once we found some stellar seats (much, MUCH better than the ones I had actually paid for) we stayed put. For those of you who don't know what Avenue Q is, it's a broadway production based on characters played by both humans and mostly puppets. The main theme is life after college, so you know it was like the story of my life, puppet style. True to broadway form, this was in no way meant for children. It featured such themes as internet porn, obscene language, puppet sex (yes, I said puppet sex), and songs with titles like "everyone's a little bit racist" and "If you were Gay"

Here are some of the main characters:

Wednesday I took a half day off of work to go to Calera Elementary to witness/help Katie with her class production of "christmas around the world"

*side note-if you have not read Katie's blog "The Shrop Stop" you need to do so NOW. right now, as in, you can leave my blog for a minute to read hers because you need to understand how hilarious her 1st grade kids are.

ok, back to the story. So I go all the way out to Calera, and find my way to "Miss Shrop's class" and what is the first thing I hear Katie say to her kids when I walk in?

"What did I say about leaning on the bookshelf? It is big and white and heavy and it what? that's right, it CRUSHES children." I could barely contain my laughter. It just got better from there. I got to hear all about what the kid's wanted for christmas, including Briana/Dylan who wants a "gun, so I can go huntin' with my daddy." The theme was "christmas around the world, so different kids were assigned different countries to represent and tell stories of how they celebrate Christmas. It was so cute, but I don't know how Katie does it. She says she is "on the verge of a mental breakdown, any day now." but I don't think it's true. You can tell she really loves her kids.

So tonight I have my drum lesson with Harry, who will hopefully be feeling much better, and I will hopefully not be so distracted, and then afterwards I am head to fun Bobby's house for his tacky sweater party, and tomorrow I will proceed with part 2 of this blog.

Pickle Chips, Meiko and Grad School

What do those three things have in common? Nothing, except being a huge part of my thoughts over the past 24 hours.

First of all, pickle chips are amazing. I first discovered them about a month ago in the downstairs vending machine at Inverness, and bought them on a whim. Good call. GOOD CALL. I'm eating some as I type, and their deliciousness never ceases.

I recommend Snyder's (but that's only because that's the only kind I've ever had)

Now, on to other (seemingly) more important things. Lucy called me up yesterday afternoon to spread the good word that Meiko was playing a free acoustic set at the Wine Loft downtown last night around 6ish. Meiko sings my theme song (Boys with Girlfriends) so naturally I wanted to see this person who spoke volumes of the truth in the flesh.

I feel like Meiko and I would be really good friends. She's funny, and her songs reflect a lot of the same ideas I have about relationships. It was a really good show. She only played for about 30 minutes or so, which was enough to have a glass of wine and decide that I'm buying her cd today. Let me tell you a little something about the Wine Loft downtown...the atmosphere is much like workplay. Dim lighting, alcohol, trendy dressed people all sitting around. Which means, I have found yet another place that I would most definitely fall in love at if I had a date there. I've talked about this before, as it is both awesome and terrible. Awesome, because for one night I'm in a perfect place, listening to some awesome artist, with someone that appreciates it, and me. Terrible, because the next day is a whole new light. It's like workplay and the wine loft are my "drunk goggles." Sometimes things are good, but for the most part, I just need to remember that no matter how I feel that evening, things are going to look a lot more different outside of a cozy atmosphere.

Now on to the grad school. Lucy got in, which has inspired me to quit talking about it, and actually pursue getting my master's in seconday education. So I've taken step one, which is to figure out the best way to achieve this. I've been advised (thank you, Michael Stevens, 'grad school guru') to get an alternative master's in seconday ed with an emphasis in English. This will earn me my degree as well as my teaching certificate. I've also now taken step two, which is to officially register to take the MAT test on January 17th. If I can get a good score (and I better, because it's really expensive to take it) then I can go ahead and apply for grad school to get in by the summer of 09. Cool, huh? It's going to be really great if I get in, with the exception that I will have no life whatsoever for a while, trying to take 3 classes a semester as well as work full time and continue my drumming. (you didn't think I'd give that up, did you?)

And now, obligatory pics. Please enjoy these pictures from my undergrad graduation.

and this is Meiko:

and these are pickle chips:

Great Article

I know, I usually write about my experiences, but this article randomly stumbled upon during my facebook stalking simply struck me as amazing. It's not particularly well-written, (and by that I mean it's not chock-full of fancy words and quips), but the subject is one very close to my heart, and the author speaks with an honesty and courage that I admire.



Now here's my little disclaimer: I have not decided to infinitely become non-religious, and I actually do very much believe in a higher power. The entire aspect of a religious lifestyle, however, is simply not something that appeals to me at this time in my life. But I applaud (and envy a little) all of my dear, dear friends that have a courage in their convictions I may never have.

With that said, the article.

"She of Little Faith"

Have you found a church family yet?' I'd never been asked this question before in my life, but since moving to the South four years ago, I've heard it dozens of times. At first I didn't understand. Had I found a church? A family? Huh? And why did the questioner care if and where I went to church? Four years later, I now understand the question. But it never fails to rattle me.

You see, I don't go to church. I'm not religious. I certainly have nothing against religion, and I'm happy for people who are happy being religious. But I myself am not. People have asked me why, and the answer is simply, I don't know. I just didn't grow up going to church. It never struck me as unusual because I didn't live in a particularly religious area. In fact, only a couple of my childhood friends went to church. My lack of religion just wasn't an issue. That was then.

Though living in Alabama has been an amazing experience, I am well aware that I'm an outsider. I don't have a Southern accent, and sometimes I have a bit of trouble understanding the really thick ones. I don't go for Southern food much, except the occasional fried okra. And ' here it comes ' I don't watch football. Not even college football; not even Alabama vs. Auburn. But perhaps what makes me most different is the fact that I don't attend church. For one thing, my lack of religion seems to startle and unnerve people. When a new acquaintance asks, 'Have you found a church family?,' I steel myself. And then I say, 'We don't go to church.' I used to chirp, 'Not yet! We're new here.' But even I have to admit that four years is not new anymore, and I don't want to lie. I say no, and I try to change the subject, but the awkwardness is still palpable.

When I first moved here, I wondered why people assumed that everyone goes to church. I tend to harbor few assumptions about people in general. For instance, I wouldn't ask a stranger, 'Where do your children go to school?' without knowing whether she has children. To me, the assumption that everyone does anything ' goes to church, has children ' was just plain strange.

Now I understand that it is a fair assumption, and a mainly accurate assumption. Happily, most of the wonderful people I've met in Alabama have been kind to me even after knowing I'm not religious. Once a woman said to me, 'Do you know that you're going to hell?' I didn't dignify that with a response, but I thought about it for a long time. And I concluded that she had to be wrong.

Because, the thing is, I am a good person. A real-life goodie-two-shoes, in fact. I've never tried drugs before ' never even smoked pot. I've never stolen anything. I rescue injured animals. I donate money to good causes. I'm devoted to my family. I'm the kind of person people phone at 2 a.m. when their car breaks down and they need a ride. I'll admit it ' I'm actually pretty geeky, straight as an arrow, considering my idea of a rockin' evening is a bubble bath and a good book.

But, ironically, in my years here I have met various people (some of whom happen to be church devotees) who do steal, do drugs and lie. I've seen them spank their children ' hard ' and say terrible things to them. I suppose they feel God will forgive them, like religion is some sort of moral Get Out of Jail Free card. But logically, if God is that forgiving, I would guess God will forgive me for not being religious.But those experiences are few and far between, and above all, I'm glad that the people around me have something in their lives that makes them as happy as their church families do. Something so positive and good. And aside from being told I was headed for hell, my other gripes are relatively minor. I don't like it when people tell me that God has a plan for me, because I have a plan for me, too. It actually makes me a bit nervous when people make questionable decisions and assume all will turn out because of God's plan. I don't like it when people ask for prayers and get offended when I say, 'You're in my thoughts.' I don't like being told ' often via strange e-mail forwards ' that many things I consider healthy and positive are sins. Gay relationships. Masturbation. Birth control. I simply don't understand, as I'm all for tolerance. Frankly, I want people to tolerate me. Recently during a casual gathering, one of the women said, 'I find now I don't even like to be around people who aren't Christians anymore. I wouldn't want one as a friend.' The others agreed fervently. Cue Kim. Exit stage left. But I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I sat quietly with my hands in my lap, a frozen smile on my face and tried to nod at the appropriate times.

I know most church-going people probably think I'm missing something. Something so huge it can't be put into words. And as an open-minded person, I can say that I understand why they feel that way, and that maybe they're right.But for now, I find what I'm looking for, what I need out of life, in the little things: My daughter's smile. My husband's arm around me. My dogs' warm bodies curled against me. A beautiful painting by my grandmother, happy faces at a family reunion, a breathtaking sunset. And the knowledge that I'm good person, a moral person, a person who tries so hard not to hurt others. That's enough for me. I wish it were enough for everyone else.


Taken from
http://www.lipstickbhm.com/

You know who would make a great leader? My right hand.

It's Thursday, which means that yesterday was Wednesday. Which, of course, means that I had a drum lesson with Harry last night.

I was so determined to show him my dedication in practicing that I did not fear when he wanted to jump right into trading fours. With confidence I kept the beat up, and he did notice my definite improvement. I was feeling great about things.

He decided he wanted to focus on fills for a while. Remember what fills are? you can recall them Here. I asked him to go over some basic fills with me, since I wanted to continue my practice, but was kind of at a loss what to do when I was alone at home. So we went over something called "Sixteenth notes"

We started out with just the snare (this is also something we kind of went over last Wednesday, when I was first learning of fills), but eventually Harry wanted me to incorporate more of the toms into the fill. This proved to be pretty frustrating for me. Often, I can do things when Harry is right there playing it with me, and I can hear the correct way, and then I just choke when I have to do it on my own. I had to explain to him about how my brain works in that super special way that I don't learn things slowly, but rather not at all until I get that epiphany and I just get it.

So we're drumming, and I'm sucking at it, and he notices something. I'm leading with my left hand. (Leading, for those who are like 'say, what?' means I'm hitting the first note with my left hand, as opposed to starting off with my right.) Which is odd, seeing as I'm right handed. This is making ALL of the difference. He seems a little nervous about this, because if I have a tendency to always lead with my left hand, things are going to "get really ugly" later on down the line for me. Harry's the kind of teacher who doesn't want to interfere with the creative process for an individual, so he didn't want to outright say that I had to break that right now. But I said it. I'm already pretty sure that I'm super slow at learning already, so I don't need anything else slowing me down.

Even though I learned of my subconcious handicap, I thought yesterday went pretty well. The bad news is (even though it's awesome news for Harry) he got an apartment that he's moving into in January, and I'm going to have to give up my beloved practice kit. (rightfully so, they ARE his, after all.) So I may not be getting the Wii for christmas after all in favor of my own practice kit so I can continue "rocking out."

and now, obligatory pictures:

Evil Left hand

Pure and Good Right hand

My beloved drum kit I have to give up : (

Regina George is NOT sweet

One thing my friends and I have learned how to spot is a "life ruiner."

What is a 'life ruiner'? Simple. One who ruins the lives around him/her with their actions.

Some classic examples of "life ruiners":

Regina George. The pinacle of "mean girls," she ruined several lives, including stealing back her exboyfriend from Cady and spreading a viscious rumor about Janis Ian.

Jacob Black in the Twilight series. He competes with Edward, which is not cool. Not to mention he's ugly, and cocky. Sorry, Jacob.

Myself. I include myself because Lucy once told me I would "ruin her life" if I made her go to the galleria on a Saturday in November.

I thought about this because Katie and I were talking about how much we hate the very presence of Jacob Black in the Twilight series, and how useless his very existence is. She actually used the term "life ruiner," so it got me thinking about other life ruiners I know of, fictional or real.

Here's the list I came up with:

1.Sallie Mae-these people ruin several thousands of people's lives every day with their incesent student loan payments

2.Marissa Cooper-quit your whining and moping around. You know why Ryan is so light-hearted in season 4 of the OC? because you're not around to drag him into your dramz.

3. The Malfoys. You and your creepy toe-head dad need to chill out, already.

4. Mrs. Galloway, my first grade teacher. She made me cry several times, and definitely ruined what little life I had in the first grade, and now she's set up to ruin my niece's life too in two years, because I looked at the roster the other day and she STILL teaches there.

5. Dr. James Gordan. My friend Brett worked in a law office for a summer in college and said this man was sued for than anyone he ever heard of. Not to mention he ruined my life daily with his horrible commercials.

6. The cable guy (thank you, Jordan Holsombeck). This guy ruined Matthew Broderick's life for an entire awful two hours.

7. Apparently, this chick.

http://pissedoffduck.blogspot.com/2007/08/life-ruiners-diane-warren.html

8. Lucy, from the Peanuts comic strip. She was constantly ruining lives. Pulling away footballs, shooting down perfectly good christmas trees, giving bad psychiatric advice. What an awful child.

9. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june05/deepthroat_6-01.pdf

Mark Felt, informer of the Watergate scandal. He took down an entire Presidency.

10. Scar, from the Lion King. Geeeeez. He got the king killed, the prince banished, and somehow managed to destroy the entire ecosystem of the pridelands in a matter of a few years. If that's not a life-ruining game plan, I don't know what is.

There's more, of course, but I can't blog all day about these people. I have to get back to work, and then I have to practice my drums tonight so Thursday's blog isn't filled with stories of me getting scolded again. Until then....

survey, courtesy of Shrop (who stole it from Joy, I'm fairly sure)

I love the smell of - downy dryer sheets, my niece's hair, vanilla, baked goods

People would say that I - am really random

I don't understand why - anyone likes twizzlers

When I wake up in the morning - I make myself focus on mentally picking out what I'm wearing to work while still snuggled in bed

I lost my willpower to -stay away from facebook

Life is - really, really good for me, despite all of my whining

My past made me - realize how incredibly stubborn/rebellious I can be

I get annoyed when - I see bike racks attached to cars. So pretentious. I even saw a bike rack attached to the back of a COP CAR. geeeeeez. stop saying "not only do I like to save the people, but the environment as well." get off of your high horse, Vestavia policeman.

Parties are not a good time to - decide you want to make out. Oh wait, that's EXACTLY what they are for.

Dogs are - amazingly loyal creatures

Cats are - something grown ass men who don't eat hamburgers should not be obsessed with, but are.

Tomorrow is - Saturday, where I get to pull double christmas cocktail duty with my company party following by black tie, white christmas

I have a low tolerance for -100% selfish people

I'm totally terrified of - losing all of my trust

I wonder why I thought my life would be - any different from anyone else's

I always knew that I would - do something special with my life.

Never in my life have I - wanted McDonald's hotcakes and sausage so badly as I do right now

High school was -fun for me. Particulary Roy Burn's class

When I'm nervous - I pinch the skin between my thumb and forefinger

One time at a family gathering -everyone laughed at my sister Kerry for getting really emotional during the prayer and saying "thank you for my baby!!!" really loud. (she was pregnant with Jillian at this point)


Take my advice - always find some way to imagine that water bottle as a rocket ship (in other words, keep a little bit of your 'inner child')

Making my bed - is something I like to do when I have the time, because it's nice to get into it after a looooooong day

I'm almost always -saying exactly what I'm thinking, whether I like it or not

I'm addicted to -facebook, sunny d, twilight books, icecream

I want someone to - bring me some breakfast right now

You're a mean one, Mr. Miree

ok, so he's not really.

But I did get scolded at my drum lesson last night for not practicing enough. I say scolded, because even though it was probably the nicest way he could have possibly said it, I felt like I was in trouble when he was finished talking.

So, I have to practice more. ALOT more. Like every day. Because I want to be good-not just ok, or average or "good enough" or whatever. I want to actually be good at this.

On a better note, I felt pretty good about last night's lesson (other than the scolding)

I learned how a lot of songs go in rythms of 2's and 4's, you have, say, 3 segments (he used another word, but for the life of me I can not remember what it was now) are the basic beat or the "groove", and the 4th rythm is considered the fill, which can be anything you want, as long as it can keep the pulse and transition nicely into the next set of groove.

Then, to help me learn about different basic kinds of "fills," we played something he called "the echo game," where he played a certain beat and then I tried to copy. I wasn't perfect, of course, but I felt pretty good about how it went. I did better than I would have expected from myself.

I really had a good time. I love learning something new, and now I must learn to be more disciplined in my practice, so I can keep moving forward.

Below please enjoy some youtube clips of some female drummers that will melt your face off, and know that I will someday too:


Sheila E




Gina Shock




Vik Foxx

Act-O-Kindness December

Now I know I shouldn't just do this for the month of December, but I thought "Hey-it's Christmas, and what is Christmas all about if not kindness?"

So I've decided to do (at least) one random act of kindness every day this month. Hopefully it will spill over into my every day life, but when you're 25 and living where I live, sometimes things can get pretty self-involved. I suggest you do the same this month. It doesn't take but a second to help someone out.

I'm not going to document this all, because it seems inappropriate to make a science project out of it, but just to let you know-if you need anything, anything at all, that I can help you with, let me know.

“We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength.”

~John F Kennedy

blog blog blog

What a week.

So it's my last night in the Mob-town, and I must say, I'm gonna miss it. I had a good time here. Particularly Thanksgiving day (and night, oh what a night)

Thanksgiving day is probably my favorite day of the year. It's not about gifts, it's about family and food. And we had a LOT of both. Now most people who know me know that I'm the baby of 5 children. Being 25 years old, this means the family has expanded a bit since many thanksgivings ago...

We've got my mom and dad (Stella and Gerald), My Aunt Debbie, My brother Travis, his wife Carol, their baby Gabby, My oldest sister Kerry, her husband Chad, their two girls Jillian and Camryn, my sister Deanna, my sister Katherine, myself, my dog gretchen, and a partridge and a pear tree. WHEW!

Now don't be jealous, but we had two fried turkeys, a turducken, about 10 different sides and about 5 desserts, and we cleaned house. Amazing. It was a great day. The most fun, however, came later that night. It's pretty well known that Thanksgiving night is one of the most popular nights to go out, and I was definitely feeling like it after being cooped up almost all week. We go over to sister Katherine's friend's Lee and John's house for a little pre-party. These boys are so nice-they have a really cute house in midtown (the coolest place to live for someone in their 20s or 30s in Mobile) There's a pretty good crowd there-mostly of the gay persuasion, so the pressure is off. Just how I like it. We're having a great time, and Lee mentions that they're going to BBob's downtown afterwards for the drag show. I'm so intrigued (yes, I know I hate that word, but really it's the best one for how I felt)-I've never been to a gay club or seen a show, so I was all about it.

This is getting lengthy so I'll sum this up as best I can. Deanna conked out on the couch at Jana's house (where we were staying since she lives within walking distance of every bar) so Kat and I proceeded to Bbobs. Two rum and cokes, two beers, and about 6 hours later, Kat and I sweaty, surrounded by shirtless gay men, and I've got some guy with nipple rings trying to kiss me. Awesome-the first guy who tries to kiss me in months is gay. (He did not succeed)The show was amazing, and I can not say enough nice things about Lee, John, Ken, and whoever else I met that night. Definitely the most fun I've had in weeks, maybe even months going out. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy, followed by a tribute to the night with the two gayest things I've ever seen:

Gingerbread, ghetto style.

So I made a gingerbread house with my 4 year old niece/heart Jillian.

The results are here:

ah. such is life. For the record, I broke it. not her.

I'm sorry, did you say "shingles"?!

So I've got shingles.

I know what you're thinking: "Shingles? really? Isn't that one of those diseases that never happens to anyone like scurvy or leprosy?"

Well it happens, and it's ugly. I woke up Tuesday morning with what appeared to be a bad case of bug bites on my neck. So naturally, I felt creeped out and moved on. I went to work. I thought about going to the doc that night, but in my grand tradition of making bad decisions, I went to a thanksgiving party instead. So Wednesday rolls around, and I definitely choose this day to NOT be the doctor day because I have a drum lesson. Nevermind that the right side of my neck and the right shoulder are barely movable because of (what I understand now) is nerve endings being attacked by my (no longer) dormant chicken pox.


I went to see Harry, because I love my time with him. Drum lessons are important to me, and not just because it's the coolest thing I've ever decided to learn to do, but because it's MY time. For one hour, every Wednesday, it's just me and him, rocking out (whether it be on drums or in conversation) It's really nice to have something all your own, that you don't share with anyone else that is a constant in life. And I don't meant that harshly-I mean it in the way that everyone needs to have their kind of "baby." Anywho, I wasn't about to give that up for two weeks in a row (seeing as I would be in Mob-town the next wednesday so we had to skip it) so I persevered.

We had an awesome session, and he reaffirmed my belief that I can actually get the mechanics down enough to learn the mental part of it. (he talks about this in his blog too, along with an awesome pic of me playing around) and I'm glad I went.

But-back to the shingles. So I had already planned to go to the doc in a box this morning, because I thought this thing hadn't gone away and maybe I should get it looked at. She took one look at my neck and said "shingles."

Shingles? really? this is when the terror kicked in. I had previously googled shingles (don't do it, it will scare the hell out of you) and I had heard some real horror stories. My first thought was of the pictures I had seen, followed by the question "Am I contagious, can I go to work?" and then the fear when she said "yes, and absolutely not." This was not going to go over well. I'm supposed to be out all of next week, I have various things to do. So I begrudgingly call my boss, and get my good friend Rhonda on the phone first. She pumps me up with courage by reaffirming that my doctor told me not, and they would just have to get over it.

I'm close to tears at this point, because I realize that I will no longer be able to have the fun-filled vacay chock full of nieces time that I had hoped for. Stupid motherf'ing shingles. So I let my boss know that I'm not allowed into the office, go home and pack for my week of quarentine.

I'm home now, and hoping and that this will not spread anywhere, especially my face. And making various phone calls to family members letting them know I might as well be a leper for the next few days and to not come around. At least I have my fearless mother, and my precious baby gretchen. I don't have my drum kit like I had hoped, but I felt that I would be in a world of pain the next few days and wouldn't be able to do it anyway. Who knows? Maybe this experience will make stella-claus a little more generous this year and I can get a full set? Please call me if you get a chance. Cabin fever is sure to set in by sunday. Later gators!

Harry has a blog now!

Hooray! By far, my coolest friend, Harry Miree, (sorry everyone else) has a blog now. Please check it out:

http://harry-metroyo.blogspot.com/

Maybe I can start barking for the yak-woman or sprinkling pixie dust on the tilta-whirl

I need a new job. Bad.

Wheeeeeeeew it has been a while since I blogged. I got all serious for a minute, and decided that was best left for my friend's ears, and not eyes. Joy Klutts Allen is right, so let's start fresh, shall we?

Let me see if I can catch you up (both mentally and visually) from the last time I posted:

Funtober. What a doozie.

The month started off a little rocky (I even recall a day or two reffering to it as "suckstober"), but it soon began to pick up in it's happiness and good times. Sarah's big 2-7 was a blast, and thus began the "Charlie Hill baby pool"

A brain child of sarah and myself, it started off as a joke. I mean, who would bet money on the delicate life of a tiny babe at the mother's expense? we would, that's who. In all fairness, we let Jamie participate. Hell, she was incubating the thing-she might as well earn a good $70 off of him. (yes, the pot got that big. Apparently Sarah and myself know a lot of good, southern gamblin' folk) Congrats to Carly, who, after picking a date none of us thought Jamie would ever make it to, won the pot by choosing (without her knowledge) the inducing date. Lucky bastard.

In the spirit of Funtober, this is also the month I decided to truly get cracking on that before 30 list I had so often spoken about to my friends. I called up Harry Miree (the sweetest 20 year old boy you will ever meet) and we set the stage for a regular drum lesson. So now, mixed with my favorite Rojo trivia, every wednesday I spend an hour with my dear Harry learning how to "rock out."

What else, what else.....

Ah! yes. The farm. now for that, I have pictures. It needs no explanation. It is simply stunning.

Don't be fooled-one of those pigs nearly took my hand off. Were it not for my cat-like reflexes, my drumming career might have been over. (or I would have been forced to continue learning, def leopard style)

The next weekend is funtober was nothing short of amazing. First, I went to Zydeco that Friday night to see the wonder that is 17th Floor. (Zydeco, for those who are not familiar, is a tiny, crowed bar (club?) that is frequented by people not much older than 21. I was far, far too old to be there, but it was 17th Floor. Seriously, what could I do?) It was hot, sticky, and my (possibly)broken foot was stepped on many, many times, but it was still a really good time. Here are so good key pics:

The next night, John was in town so he, myself, his wicked awesome friend Dan, Shrop and Lucy went to see the magical Ben Kweller at workplay. I fall in love every time I go to workplay. It's that damn romantic lighting, and it's all cozy in those booths, and I am seeing someone like Ben Kweller almost every time I go....

Needless to say, I became obsessed with the song "Falling" and had a dream later that week that I bet Ben, and we hung out and fell in love after one evening. Damn you Workplay, and your incessent goodness!

That next Thursday, I experienced the Fox and Hound for the first time. It was everything I expected and more. The evening started off pretty innocently enough. Sarah invited me to go to a "Reformation Party." It's a protestant thing, so, of course I asked her if I needed to start some good old Catholic trouble. It was a costume party, and I went as my harry potter thing from last year. I was clearly saving all of my real efforts for actual halloween, so I thought it was good enough. Dave, Zach, and fun Bobby were there, and so it was guarenteed to be a good night. The party was fun enough, and here are some good pics:

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is, in fact, mayor Larry Langford.

The real fun of the night came at the after party (the Fox and Hound, as previously mentioned)

It was me, Dave, Zach, Sarah, Bobby, Jenny, Clayton, Pauley Bleaker (whose real name I can never remember,Bryan, maybe?) and a very forward girl named Rebbeca. She did not come with us, she was just a huge part of the story. So we had a few drinks, a few laughs, Bobby/Larry did a striking rendention of karoke "thong song" but we ultimately knew it was time to start packing things up when Rebecca entered the picture. First, it appeared she wanted Dave. Dave, being the gentlemen he is, pawned her off on Zach by telling her that Zach would be more than happy to sing a song from the broadway hit "Rent" with her, duet style. He somehow managed to shake her, and turned her interests back to Dave, who then, turned her interests to me. I tell you, it's interested to hear someone seriously ask you "what team do you swing for" while they are giving you a shoulder massage and asking if they can dedicate a song to you. So I say sure, why not? She seems harmless enough. So what song does she choose? "I kissed a girl." By Katy Perry. She even stuck my name in a few times. Nice.

Oh, but the fun didn't end there. As we paying our tabs and deciding it is DEFINITELY time to go, I feel something cold and metal slip onto my wrist. It's handcuffs, I discover to my dismay. And who am I handcuffed to? Rebecca. Zach says the look on my face was devastating.

So the next night was Halloween. Geeez this post is excruciatingly long. It's a whole month though, and this is the last night of, it I promise. So, like I said, it's halloween!

I went as Where's Waldo. One of my better costumes, I must admit.

We went to a party at Stewart's, Casey's, Connor's, and John Hunter's house. It was a fun filled night of flip cup, costumes, booty dancing and photo bombing. Just how I like it. We tried to meet up with Zach and Dave later at the Rare Martini, but the line was re-donkulous, and we were right under a heat lamp, and there was a weird blue guy with a nose ring trying to talk to me, so we peaced out and headed back to Stew's. So that was my funtober. I won't get into November yet. That will be a blog for another day. If you're still reading this, props to you! It's a long one. I'll be back soon!

B-O-R-E-D

Man, am I ever bored with this job. I've decided that if nothing really significant happens by the time my lease is up next August, I'm probably moving back to Mobile. What's significant? Three things that could make me stay:

1) If I meet someone worth staying for
2) If I get a much, much better job
3) If I get into UAB grad school and it would be too much of a pain to transfer

If none of those things happen, then I'm out. I like Bham. I truly do. However, sometimes I get pretty homesick for the laid-back vibe that I get from Mobile. I also miss my family, particularly my sisters and my precious nieces, one of which doesn't really recognize me because I haven't been around for her entire 1 year of her life. Mobile is a black hole anyway, and I always knew I'd be back. It was just a lot clearer when I was with Scott, but now that my odds of meeting my husband from the ham have increased significantly, the future is up in the air. Which is fine, for the most part. I'm pretty free right now to go where I want to.

I don't want to sound ungrateful to the Ham. There are many, many things here that I have come to love, so i'm going to list my top ten favorites, and my top 10 greivances of living in the "Magic City"

Top Ten Favorites
1) My friends I've made here-I have more wonderful girl friends here than I ever had in Mobile, except for my college days
2) The fall colors-unlike Mobile, the weather here is nice and there's generally at least 3 seasons instead of just getting winter to summer
3) My company - now, I know I say I'm bored with my job, but I'm not bored with my company. I work for one of the greatest mid-size pharmacuetical companies a girl could ask for
4) The social aspect - not only are there many more "young professionals" but there are several events that cater particularly to us, such as Art on the Rock, Cocktails in the Gardens, Wine-down Wednesdays, ect. Plus-the bar scene is much better here. There are several quality places, instead of just one or two you can find in Mobile
5) My odds-of finding a suitable person to date and not marrying someone from my highschool, like I will inevitably do if I move back
6) My freedom - now I wouldn't live with my parents if I moved back, but being 4 hours away from them is both a blessing and a curse. I'm not forced into going to awkward family things that involve my horrible cousins or being kicked out of my own house if they decide to mooch and stay with us for say, 2 weeks (yes, this did happen. I blatantly shacked with scott the entire time to show my mother how pissed I was that she allowed this)
7) The lack of a significant hurricane season. I don't so much fear my house being torn away by 130mph winds while I huddle in the hallway sweating because our power went out at the first sign of even the slightest rain
8) Shopping-there are several higher-end clothing stores here than in Mobile, and most of them are located conveniently close to where I live
9) The food - I gained a good ten pounds when I first moved up here due to the different amount of choices I have in resteraunts. Some of my favorites include The Cheesecake Factory, Rojo, California Pizza Kitchen, and my sweet, sweet Jason's Deli-where I get my delicous soup from every single day in the winter
10) My location - I live in the best place in the 'ham. (if you ask me). I am just about 15-20 minutes at most from anywhere worth going in this city, plus it's safe and pretty for the most part


My Top Ten Grievances

1) The traffic - 280 is a nightmare at almost any given time, and unfortunately I travel this road the most. Not to mention that I have to spend an HOUR on the EXIT for 65 south on friday afternoon because everyone and their mom is going that way
2) The snobbiness - this is a generalization, and perhaps an unfair one. I have met many, many sweet people who could not care less about these things, but a lot of the success you find in bham comes from how you look, and what you wear, and what you're driving. Unfortunately, I get paid nothing at my current position and my almost decade old civic looks like it's been in a monster-rally because I sometimes forget it's not a Hummer.
3) The crime - can we say "paranoid?!" There were three murders of young people within the first two months of me living here. I didn't want to leave my house.
4) The cost of living - it's higher. plain and simple
5) Tornados. It took me a little while to get used to the sirens. I don't worry as much now that my pug lives in Mobile. I know she's not home alone, worried.
6) No beach anywhere to be found. I went from an hour and half day trip time to 5 hours to get into any sand. Sad. There's also no causeway, and therefore, no good seafood (that I know of)
7) The competition - I'm single now, but so are most of the girls that I know. And they've been single longer, and are better at it (in a good way) so my competition here is quite fierce.
8) Conservatism/the Bible Belt - I'm Catholic, and we're a dying breed in the 'ham. So the majority of my friends are highly involved in their churches. And that's great-but I can't seem to really get into going to a protestant church, or any kind of bible study, so I'm kind of left out of this. Not to mention I'm a wee bit more on the democrat side, and this can be kind of an issue.
9) My job - ugh-this one is my own fault, but my GOD, do I need a new one. Again, love the company, hate my job. Although, I can't really fault the city for this one, so I don't know if this should count
10) the radio: I would think that such a larger city would have a diverse set of stations that play a variety of things, but the radio here is atrocious. I miss the 92 zew everyday...however, I have found one station that is like a poor man's zew-100.5 check it out if you haven't already. Kelley-I'm sure you're already aware of this one.

So that's my list. Honestly, it was harder to come up with things i didn't like over things that I did, so maybe that's a sign that I should stay. I still have a year to decide. I'll just see if some of the things on my bad list improve by that point.